Here's everything you need to know (I hope), if you have any questions feel free to ask, I'm sure we've missed something important out but hey we're only human.

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Terms & Conditions, please read to avoid disappointment later

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IPMS Nationals Entry Form Please download this form, populate it and then email it back to Steve at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (don't send it to me).

Next step will be drawing up the floor plans, we've got half of the lower area plus the side rooms set aside for the event.
This year we'll have to charge all vendors for the tables, what I'm looking to do is "sell" the floor space in "units" of 2m x 2m (or the size of a table, but waiting for the official table sizes to be sent).
Tables (units) are $40 each which is the price we're getting them for, for those looking to sell stuff please contact myself or Fooesboy aka Chris Shannon about allocations.
We'll send out official letters to known vendors in the next week.
For those clubs and individuals who want to display their models, we can provide space free of charge (within sensible limits).

'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.'

Just a wee update, we're just making a small addendum around the wording wording of the category B4 Artillery – Towed (excludes self-propelled) just so there's no confusion we are removing the word "Towed" as a lot of the Great War siege guns were fixed and immovable (plus some that were used in the siege of Sevastopol in WWII).
It still doesn't include SPGs.

'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.'

It is not necessary for the actual Modeler to be present and the competition nor both days. From a competition proper perspective we want the models on the table for both days. We need time to do the judging, prize giving and taking of photos etc. If you do wish to come down only for one day then you will have to organize the packing and return of your models etc your self.

Craig Sargent wrote: Any clarification on the past entries rule? Normally for Nationals it is no previous Nationals place-getters that can be re-entered, but this time rules just say no 1st place..

Hi Craig - Previous winners of Nationals are not eligible however on this occasion we are accepting previous 2nd and 3rd place. This was discussed at our club meeting and accepted.

Cheers

Steve

On a personal note, I don't think it is in the spirit of the National champs for a participant to enter place-getting models from a previous National champs again. It doesn't do a lot for would be local competitors to see past placegetters on the competition table again and it is not a practice that I subscribe to. Putting past placegetting models in a non-competition display only, is wholly encouraged though as it provides a glimpse of past standards to current standards without affecting a current competition's results.

Some would look upon past place-getting models being put in another National competition as mass trophy hunting and denying them a possible placing in the competition. My observation from some of the Waikato club members to past competition placed models being placed in the local Armistice show was that they appeared to be discouraged by this and they did not enter models the following year because they felt outclassed. I know I brought previous competition models from previous years one year to make up numbers on the table and it was a bit of a turn-off to some of the local members. This year, the majority of entries will come from local members and it is their opportunity to have a chance of placing in a National competition and hopefully take some encoragement from this. There will of course be a smaller number of modellers from other regions competing for placings who will not have travelled for nothing so the expectation is that they will bring new models of a high standard with them, but they can only fill so many placings.

I acknowledge that as there is no National body to adjudicate or make rules around competitions, it falls on the hosting club to make their own rules and from year to year we will see variations in the National competition. This year, your committee has set the classes to be competed in and the rules, so this is what we abide by when participating.

I think it will just be a case of suck it and see, if we find that there is only a single entrant then obviously it's better to have something rather than nothing or the tables will be bare. We aren't Auckland or Wellington and can only go on previous experience of show attendees, but it's been my experience that no one comes to "Cow Town" with the exception of the dedicated few who loiter these hallowed halls
This year I'm leaving it entirely in Steve's capable hands and while we said no 1st places we may extend that to no 2nd or 3rds depending on the number of entrants.
Hell I won at the Wellington Nationals a couple of years back with something I don't consider to be my best work, if I saw that put on the table by someone else I wouldn't be put off entering my latest stuff as it's far better.
I think it's just going to be a case of suck it and see until someone pulls their collective fingers out and (re)makes a National body (one that isn't an old boys club) that can set a clear set of rules for all and will encourage it's National membership to attend these events enmasse.
My personal opinion is I'm happy to go either ways as long as the tables are full and everyone has fun, I don't want to see childish hissy fits and BS, it's a hobby and we're supposed be adults.
Just my 2 cents

'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.'

I'm not sure we will ever see a National body in NZ as I tried this around 10 years ago and not all clubs wanted to be subserviant to a National body, though most did. The biggest issue with National competitions is that they are not well supported by persons outside of the hosting club. Most don't want to spend the time or money to travel and it is only a very small minority that do. We don't have the drawcards like overseas clubs do and our overall modelling population is very small. The politics introduced by one or two clubs in the past has really killed involvement from distributors and that is where well supported national competitions died. I look forward to the day of the second-coming.

I'm of the same mindset as Steve (ViperBuilder) in that once one of my models has placed at Nats, I wouldn't re-enter it, even if rules allowed it.

I can understand the Hamilton club want a good turnout, and that stopping place getters may reduce numbers, but realistically stopping Armistice 1st place getters will likely reduce numbers on the table more than stopping Nats placegetters based on those who travel/enter. I was at the last Wellington club night and I know there are a few there who plan on travelling, and I understand there will be a reasonable number from Christchurch attending also, and we usually get a couple from further south.

Based on the turnout just from last Armistice, I don't think it will be a poor turnout. Having said that, I've finished nothing so need to pull finger to get something on the table.

My main concern around not limiting placegetters was that we would see a repeat of last Armistice where one modeller entered all his previous Armistice winners and placegetters again, and cleaned up the same categories. That really discourages entries more than anything else I would say, as Steve alluded to above.

At the end of the day, it IS just a hobby, albeit the IPMS Nationals is the competitive end of the hobby, so should also be taken as such. I attend Nationals to see good models and catch up with mates, anything else is an added bonus. Looking forward to it.

Its good to see all the hard work going into AIC. I for one have the weekend off and plan to attend.
We have to respect the current situation with the rules and if it is the host club that sets the rules then so be it. Maybe it will trigger some modelers that have great kits sitting at home to get them on display and compete.
I think the main thing to remember is to have fun.

We as in this event as in WSMC aka IPMS Waikato etc etc.
Until there is a centralised body each club is entitled to do as they see fit as they are the ones hosting and ultimately know what is best for their event.
I've tried to do what is best for the event and the hobby in general in NZ and I'm tired of banging my head against the wall.
This is why this year will be my last year as the lead organiser of the event and also my last year as El Presidente of WSMC.
So instead of just poking your finger in and twisting a little bit each year you can step up and give it a go.

'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.'

olive drab wrote: So there is no one set of rules? "we" is? and "adjust to fit the needs" what needs afterall the Nationals last year were in the middle of Central Otago and didnt they have enough turn up?

I would encrouge you to join the WSMC, come along to our meetings and help out with organising the AiC event. Then you can have a say and help drive the event and scale modeling forward.
We are a very small club with not many active members, the work load for these events is huge and has to a large extent fallen onto the sholders of a few. In fact without the great guys from KM who turn up each year and help out I'm not sure if we could have continued hosting AiC.

My understanding from the club meeting was that models that have previously placed 1st at AiC were to be excluded while 2nd and 3rd could be entered again if that person wished. I had assumed that models that have recieved prizes in other national events would not be eligible to be entered. Maybe we need to take another look?

What was decided is what has already been put in the "rules" This is an IPMS Nationals event so only those having placed in previous IPMS Nationals in 1st place will be excluded. This "may" be extended to exclude previous "IPMS Nationals" 2nd and 3rd place winners but this will be decided on when we have a better idea of what is going to be put on the tables.
Just to clarify previous AIC winners will be allowed to enter in to the IPMS competitions but not in the non IPMS ones.
While this is an IPMS event we also have to please the "unwashed" visitors, they aren't going to want to see empty tables.
It may be a case of IPMS tables are smaller but the non IPMS tables are bigger than intended, there is always a bit of suck it and see.
Hope that clears things up for everyone.
Thanks
G.

'Yea, Though I Fly Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 50,000 Feet and Climbing.'